Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Considering Bobobies as a first BJD

If you're considering entry into the BJD world, let me recommend Bobobie as your first doll. Here are a couple of reasons:

  1. Price. I know, I shouldn't even bring this up, since it's kind of a taboo subject among doll collectors. But if you don't want a heavy investment, this is a great starter doll to see if you like them. You can get a tiny resin doll (14.5 cm) starting at just $68 without a face-up, and an extra $10 for the face-up. Larger sizes all also available--up to 70 cm--all at very competitive prices.
  2. Versatility. If you already collect dolls, Bobobies are some of the few who can share outfits with them. Isabella (and other 27 cm sculpts) can wear some Barbie clothes. Lan (40 cm) can wear Tyler Wentworth (Tonner Doll) clothing. It's great to be able to swap wardrobes with other dolls.
  3. Quality. Their price point for the quality is very good. The dolls I have so far have not required sanding--I haven't needed to sand a single seam line, which is amazing. I did need to tighten the elastic in Lan when I first got her, but that was easy. 
  4. Construction. It's really a snap to change Lan's eyes and also Isabella's. The way they are sculpted makes it easy. These girls really seem great for beginners (and more seasoned collectors, too).
  5. Customization. The dolls are perfect for customization. When you are ready to get into customization, these dolls lend themselves easily to blushing, sueding and even to face-ups.  Head and body swaps are easy. Plus, your initial (relatively) low investment makes them much less scary to work on than a more expensive doll.
  6. Dealers often carry them in stock. This way, if you are impatient, you don't have to wait for three months for their arrival. (Some of us are more impatient than others, even after all this time.)
Consider these options when considering your first doll. Sure--you should adore the face sculpt. And posing is important. I don't think my Bobobie poses quite as well as my Dollzone girls, or even as my Peak's Woods. But for the price point (and after sueding)... it's worth considering!

6 comments:

  1. I love a lot of the Bobobie sculpts, but they really do need a lot of work to get them to pose. I bought a Bobobie Rachael as one of my first dolls (and my first SD) and she has been so much trouble to get standing. I've tried sueding (thanks to the tutorial in your book), tightening her strings, and even wiring her, and she still won't stand. ): Next I'm going to try to replace her elastic altogether. She's been a challenge, but I do love her pretty face and you're right - because of her price, I was less scared to dive in and start taking her apart.

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  2. I've heard since this original post that Bobobie actually uses a smaller size elastic than they should. You might try ordering a restring kit from the Junkyspot (or just 3.5-4 mm elastic) and try using that instead.

    I ended up restringing both smaller girls with Souldoll (Soulkid) MSD sized elastic. With sueding and the newer elastic (you want it less stretchy and a bit thicker), they were able to stand. :)

    Let me know how it goes!

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  3. Don't forget the COLORS! The wild and wonderful COLORS! Bobobie can make your doll in practically any color you want!!!

    I love my Bobobie and Resinsoul dolls very much. I'd never part with them.

    My first Asian BJD was a Bobobie Pixie in lavender, and I got her second-hand. She had a custom face-up, had been restrung and hot-glue sueded, and was just stunning. I love her and would never part with her in a million years. She's also one of my "Ambassador" dolls. I put her in the hands of potential collectors and they go all silly. :D
    I loved her so much that I snagged a green Pixie from Junkyspot a month later. I admit a temptation to acquire one in every color!

    I received my green March as a gift, and she is the same size as Isabella. Not only can she wear Barbie clothes, but she can also wear some Skipper outfits, too! Plus, I've put her in some of the Goodreau 8" clothing pieces and they're adorable on her.

    I never would have gotten into SD size if it hadn't been for the affordability of the NS Bobobie body I got for my Jolly Plus head. (Perfect resin match, btw.)
    And then there's my RS Dan (in Red resin!), and my Purple resin Weylin. So I have BBB and RS dolls in SD, MSD, and slim-YOSD sizes. I'm seriously considering getting into some of their tinies, too.

    I find that for the older styles, adding S-hooks and new elastic is key. A newer doll might only need the elastic tightened, and maybe a bit of sueding. Bobobie does ship their dolls loosely strung for a good reason: Apparently when they ship them tight there are issues with the joints chipping.

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  4. Hi! I'm wondering if there is a bjd doll that has Barbie size and almost a similar 'woman' figure, not a child. Bobobie are very nice, but 27 cm dolls are too childish.

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    Replies
    1. Certainly! I'd have a couple to recommend. First, I'd suggest checking out Limwha dolls--the 27cm size is perfect for Barbie clothing, except for shoes (try Momoko or Azone for shoes). I've currently got a Tan Mari in my collection and have owned a white skin Sara in in the past. These dolls are very high quality and reasonably priced ($200 starting for normal/white, more for tan resin and $40 for face-ups). They can be hard to find, though Emory at the Junkyspot frequently stocks them. They are gorgeous. They pose very nicely.

      I'd also suggest for the size Soom's Mini Gem size--I have owned an Uyoo elf, and she was a fun size, but had serious posing issues. (She was an older doll.) These start around $230.

      Souldoll made a tiny size as well with this figure--called Souldoll Little, but these are long out of production. I owned a Metel for a while. She was gorgeous, too, but very kicky as well. These run about $242 starting.

      Dollmore also makes a fun Barbie-size doll, but may not count as BJDs on some larger forums (fora?) because of their jointing. They are the 12" FMD (fashion model dolls). They have delicate figures and faces. I actually made a hybrid of the body and used a tiny (Fairy of Fairytales) head from Peak's Woods for a fun BJD of my own making. These run about $260, I think.

      Also--for a slightly more girlish figure, and a much better price, don't forget Planetdoll tinies. These are affordable girls who can also share Barbie clothing. They are gorgeous--and many dealers stock them, including Denver Doll Emporium and lots of European dealers--and the company is wonderful to deal with directly. The tan is quite dark, but very lovely. We have two Aqua Mermaid tinies here at the moment. The basic dolls start at only $159. They are a bit wider than most Barbies, and have a more youthful appearance, but can use a lot of older Barbie clothes or stretch fabric.

      I hope this helps you get started--have fun!

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  5. Thank you so much for your answer!!! I'm going to search all these beauties and maybe choose one of them to begin. ^__^

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